New Zealand international Meikaya Moore joined Common Goal in 2022, fresh after winning the FA Women's Championship with Liverpool.
She's putting her 1% to Play Proud to help create a more inclusive game.
"Joining Common Goal became a no brainer, social change requires many heads and hearts and I didn’t second guess adding mine to the basket," said Moore.
"The Play Proud project personally speaks volumes - football as a facilitator has been massively influential in my journey as a member of the LGBTQ+ community.
"I hope I can play a role in continuing to make sport a safer space that is inclusive for all."
“As an ambassador for Common Goal, I am part of a team who tackles the greatest social issues our world faces through pledging money towards organizations who use the power of soccer to make positive impacts in the community.”
Tarek Morad is a professional footballer whose career has seen him play professionally since 2014 across the US along with short stints in Cairo, Egypt and Dublin, Ireland.
Tarek was another of the Oakland Roots players to pledge 1% of their annual salary at the same time in 2021.
Alex joined the Common Goal movement alongside international teammate Megan Rapinoe in September 2017.
Like Megan, she felt like it was her duty to represent women through this platform to be able to use football to tackle some of the greatest social challenges facing the world today.
In December 2017, Morgan travelled to Tanzania with her husband to visit her chosen Common Goal organisation Jambo Bukoba. The pair held soccer clinics and met school children during a five-day trip to the East African country.
Farkhunda Muhtaj, a midfielder who grew up in Canada, joined Common Goal while captaining Afghanistan’s national team and playing for Fortuna Sittard.
She helped over 300 Afghans, including members of Afghanistan’s youth national team, evacuate to Portugal after the Taliban took control in 2021.
Noticing she already plays an active role in increasing gender equality through football, Farkhunda puts her 1% towards tackling an issue she wants to be more involved in. She pledges to the Anti-Racist Project.
“It’s important for me to ensure we eliminate structural challenges and systemic barriers for BIPOC individuals and ensure they see themselves reflected and valued while having equal access to opportunities in football,” Farkhunda said.
“Beyond simply condemning discrimination, I am determined to be actively involved in this movement and to work toward a sustainably diverse, equitable, and inclusive game for all.”
Nor Mustafa joined the Common Goal movement at the age of 18 and on the same day that she was announced as a West Ham United player.
The Swede is cites Zlatan Ibrahimović as her hero and says she wants to do for the women’s game what Zlatan has done for the men’s game.
“He has opened so many doors for immigrant voices in Sweden. And if Zlatan can do it, we can do it. That was always in my mind.”
Nor is passionate about football and believes it is more than just a game.
“Football changes lives. If I have a bad day and they watch a game of football, they get happy. Football is so much more than football, it’s love, it’s passion, it’s so much more than kicking a ball. Football unites people.”
Ayesha is an Australian footballer who joined Common Goal while captaining Brisbane Roar in her country's top flight.
"I believe football is a way for people to come together and use our platform to positively inspire, educate and raise awareness on social issues around the world."
Olav Øby is a Norwegian midfielder, who having reached out via the Common Goal website, joined in January 2018, citing the collective team for change as a primary reason. In the process, he became the first Norwegian player to join Common Goal.
With a Masters degree in sports psychology, Olav is a well-rounded thinker of the game, and fully understands the collective power of football as a tool for social change in the world.
Sérgio Oliveira joined Common Goal while playing for Galatasaray. The Portuguese player wants to start conversations around mental health and believes that he finally found the right place to do so.
Beyond that, he also supports football for good organisations pledging 1%.
Dani Olmo was the 160th member of Common Goal and joined ahead of his RB Leipzig side’s Champions League quarter-final in August 2020.
Through his 1% pledge, the Spanish midfielder and adidas athlete supports Cross Cultures Projects Association (CCPA) in Croatia - an organisation based in Croatia, a country he played in for over five years and now calls home. CCCPA aims to help bring stability to post-conflict communities.
Dani also wants to send a message of solidarity and individual responsibility to other footballers and encourage them to be conscious of the positive impact football can have on people’s lives.
Johanna Omolo is a Kenyan international who comes from Dandora. Who moved to Belgium in 2007 to play for Cercle Sportif Visé.
After moving he was felt compelled to give back to his community and, as well as his contribution to Common Goal he set up the The Johanna Omolo Foundation to help the people of Dandora.
“After I moved to Belgium, something kept haunting me for years, like a ghost. Whenever I’d go to sleep I’d remember what I’d seen in Dandora, what I’d left behind — and who I’d left behind. A voice would enter my head and refuse to go away. I have to do something. I have to do something.”
Lenie Onzia was the first Belgian player to join the Common Goal movement and is keen to see plenty more Belgians follow her lead.
She combines her time as a player with working as a youth coach – something she is passionate about.
Lenie is thankful for the life that football has given her so far and sees Common Goal as a way to positively impact the lives of others.
Willi Orbán joined Common Goal on the day his RB Leipzig side was scheduled to play Spartak Moscow in the Europa League.
The match was cancelled as UEFA suspended all Russian clubs from the tournament.
Orbán used the moment to highlight how football can play an important role in providing short and long-term support to those affected by the war by putting his 1% to Common Goal's Team up for Ukraine Emergency Response.
In doing so, the centre-back became the first Hungarian to join the team.
Sandra Paños is a force to be reckoned with between the sticks, with four Zamora titles to her name, two league titles with FC Barcelona Femeni, and two World Cup runs with Spain. To top it off, in 2021, she earned UEFA Women's Champions League goalkeeper of the year.
Determined to use her platform to make a difference in the lives of others, she joined the week her Barca side took on Real Madrid at a sold-out Camp Nou for a spot in the semi-finals of the Champions League.
Her 1% will help in the fight for gender equality, with the Spaniard choosing to support Common Goal’s Global Goal 5 Accelerator.
Spanish international and adidas athlete, Irene Paredes was introduced to Common Goal by her Spanish teammate Ainhoa Tirapu and was inspired by the vision of the movement.
“The majority of players live in other worlds. Juan (Mata) is more in touch with society and the world around him," said Irene.
The defender was announced as a Common Goal member alongside PSG teammate Vero Boquete and has introduced other teammates (Arianna Criscione and Damaris Egurrola) to the movement.
Tim Parker is an American centre-back who joined while playing for the New York Red Bulls.
He joined Common Goal in June 2018, the same month that he made his debut for the US men's national team against the Republic of Ireland in Dublin.
When he joined the movement, he stated his intention to bridge the gap between the professional and grassroots game and believes that football can be a powerful agent in this regard.
A proud New Yorker, Parker wants to give back to the local football community as well as the local law enforcement department, whom his family has strong ties to. Parker says he would have become a police officer if he hadn't made it as a footballer.
Bea Parra joined Common Goal with her partner Marta Perarnau Vives after an illustrious career at Real Betis and just after ending her prolific spell in Liga MX. She is also a licensed coach.
Bea wants to help advance gender equity and pledges 1% to the Equal Play Effect.
Andreas Pedersen joined the Common Goal movement through his club FC Nordsjaelland in the Danish Superliga.
He joined in July 2019 as part of a club wide initiative to pledge 1% of salaries to football for good causes.
Mads 'Mini' Pedersen is a Danish left-back who initially joined Common Goal while playing for FC Nordsjaelland before moving to FC Augsburg in the German Bundeslig
He previously visited the Right to Dream Academy in Ghana and grew up with a keen sense of philanthropy, donating to clothes to projects for the less privileged as a youngster.
Sofie Junge Pedersen is a Danish international midfielder and an adidas athlete, who reached out to Common Goal to join the movement in March 2018.
She is passionate about international development and as she says, wants to "contribute as a global citizen" to make a better world.
In the summer of 2019, Sofie visited football for good organisation Chiparamba in Zambia to experience first-hand how football is changing lives.
By joining Common Goal, Sofie has stated she wants to help the movement grow and help it to become the norm for footballers to drive social change.
Midfielder Aleksa Pejić took the 1% pledge while playing for Rapid Wien in 2022. In doing so, he became the first Serbian player and the first from his Austrian club to join the movement.
"For me, one of the most beautiful feelings is helping someone, especially those to whom help means the most," said Aleksa.
"Thanks to football and this phenomenal organisation, I have the opportunity to make life better for someone. I couldn't be more proud to be part of the Common Goal team."
As a professional football player, a licensed coach and a psychologist, Marta joined Common Goal with her partner Bea Parra Salas to create a more inclusive game.
She pledges 1% to the Equal Play Effect to increase the participation and representation of women and non-binary athletes in football.
Maximilian Philipp, had seen others join Common Goal and – after reading up on the movement – decided to take the pledge himself.
Having come from a family without abundance, Max says he knows what it is like to get by with less and appreciates what he has now.
Max hopes to visit a football for good organisation to experience first-hand how lives are being changed through football.
Cristina ‘Chini’ Pizarro joined Common Goal in 2020. She started her career at Atletico de Madrid and has since played for Rayo Vallecano and EDF Longrono.
“Football is one of the best tools we have for reaching people all over the world and tackling social issues. The idea of one big team like Common Goal is, for me, the best way to make use of football’s potential for good.”
Hibernian centre half Ryan Porteous joined Common Goal in October 2020 – where at the tender age of 21 and signs of a promising career ahead of him, he felt the timing was perfect to commit 1% of his future earnings to the football for good movement.
The man from Edinburgh made the pledge shortly after returning home from the Scottish international senior set-up following the Tartan Army’s historical European Championship play-off semi-final victory over Israel.
The Hibs number 5 decided that his maiden pledge would go towards supporting female empowerment through football - having witnessed the challenges faced by his own sister in her quest to become a player.
Cristian Portilla joined Common Goal in March 2018 citing the desire to help use football as a social tool in society.
He was influential in his club side Unionistas de Salamanca joining the movement – the second professional club to do so in January 2020.
Maximiliane Rall is a German international defender who plays her club football for TSG 1899 Hoffenheim.
She personally reached out to us via our webpage and was officially announced as a Common Goal member in October 2019.
Grace Rapp joined Common Goal in August 2020 while playing for French side Stade de Reims – having previously played for Yeovil Town Ladies.
Rapp also spent four years playing in the USA after securing a scholarship with the University of Miami. Grace joined Common Goal to help ensure football plays its part in driving social change.
"There are social inequalities that stem beyond ourselves and our immediate circles that we dont always see in our daily footballing life. It is promising to see that Common Goal is using footballers to bridge these gaps, encouraging players to look up beyond their game and make a change on a global scale.
"I am excited to be a part of this team using football as a tool to positively impact lives around the world."
Mathias Rasmussen is a Norwegian midfielder who joined the movement through his club FC Nordsjaelland in the Danish Superliga.
Officially announced in September 2019, Matthias believes the beauty of the game and its ability to teach vital lessons should be available to all.
Football comes from the heart, and everyone should have the possibility to feel the impact and love of and from the sport.